FAQs

Six weeks have flown by! So much has happened and I'm not at all ready to go yet. Jake, Tori and I are taking a bus through the night to Tikal later today and we have until Wednesday to travel a bit more. Since we've got only four days in the states before second year med school classes start again, I won't get to see or talk to many of you as soon as I'd like but I know you'll have questions. So here are my responses to questions I've gotten after past trips to tide you over until we can have a more in depth conversation :)

Best part?
Always the hardest to answer so I've tried to whittle it down to a top 5...
1-Giving Luis a Quiche Bible/our conversations about theology
2-Night spent at Fuentes Georginas
3-Working in clinic (learning from the docs, speaking Spanish with patients, getting to know students from all over)
4-Relaxing at Lake Atitlan and at Champerico
5-Getting to salsa dance with friends every week

Worst part?
The goodbye dinner

Pictures?
I'll upload some when I get home. For now check Tori and Ariana's Facebook pages

Was the food good?
Hit or miss. Some was great, like pepian, jocon, tacos, various soups, pitaya, mango, chocolate from Doña Pancha's. I'm still not sick of rice and beans. I definitely don't want to eat cucumbers for a while...I'm not a huge fan of them to begin with and got served a lot of them the first several weeks. Oh, I also learned I'm allergic to mango skins...I can eat the fruit and LOVE it but can't prepare it myself :(

You've lost weight...Did you get sick?
The weight loss is mostly from walking everywhere and a different diet. But I've had some GI issues, and we'll leave it at that :)

Did it meet your expectations?
I expected to spend more time in clinic and working on patient education than I actually did. I still learned a lot. The weeks were long with work in the morning then afternoon classes but it was even more fun than I could've hoped for. With Luis, I covered more grammar than I thought possible, and our hours of conversation helped reinforce all those lessons and the new vocab I was learning. We also traveled to communities around Xela as tourists more than I thought.
On another note, I knew as a tall blond I'd stick out, but the number of catcalls, stares and inappropriate requests I received here still shocked me.

How does it compare to your last time in Guatemala?
In many ways the two are very different. Last time in 2011 I spent two months working in a rural school and was in charge of short term missions teams coming in. This time we were in a big city; I was only responsible for myself, got to travel a ton and was in class or clinic most of the day. Both taught me a ton about Spanish, what I want to do in the future and myself in general. It was fun coming in knowing someone else in the program this time, and I still got to know a ton of amazing people from around the world.

Would you go back? When?
Lord willing!! Maybe not the exact same way but I'd love to visit Luis' village, keep working on my language skills and serve as a doctor in a setting like this. Yeah there are frustrations, limitations, and barriers, but I love it. Second and third year in med school will keep me pretty close to Loma Linda, but maybe fourth year I can do an away rotation and then depending on my residency I might try to work abroad then. I'm still very unsure what I'd like to specialize in, so that will definitely affect details of such plans.

Would you change anything about it?
Of course there were good and bad moments, but I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend the summer. It was refreshing being reminded why I'm in medicine and investing so much time and money in huge textbooks.


Well, this has helped me process...my top 5 might change after we see Tikal. I've been looking forward to seeing the ruins since we bought plane tickets :) hopefully between this and the previous posts you've been able to keep up with my adventures, but I'd love to talk more if you have questions or want more details!!

Weeks 5-6

Last week was another fun week...prepping patient education material, Tuesday and Wednesday in clinic, a trip to San Fransisco for market day, a professional soccer game, classes and hanging out with friends.
 In clinic I got to translate for Larissa, an American doctor who speaks Spanish pretty well but it's nice to have someone else there to make sure you don't miss anything the patient is saying. Wednesday we went to a Quiche village called Chirijquiac located about 45 minutes outside Xela. We set up clinic in the home of a local man whose children are involved in the Pop Wuj scholarship program.
I finally hit a point of frustration in classes...after a full morning in clinic we were working on past subjunctive examples and I kept messing up and struggled to make up examples, feeling stupid and frustrated with myself. Thankfully Luis can read me really well at this point so we switched to talking about sports for a while and got me back to normal. He prepped me well for the soccer game Saturday night, telling me some of the politics behind soccer here, where to buy a jersey, where he normally sits, what cheers/curses/songs to expect from the crowd, etc. It was a ton of fun! Fireworks, balloons, face paint, marching bands!! Xelaju won 1-0, granted the refs may have stretched the game until we scored, but it was a win nonetheless :)

This week has been bittersweet as so many "lasts" are coming up. Tuesday was my last day in clinic. I got to translate for Meghan, another American doctor. We worked well together and saw several interesting patients. That evening Mynor gave a presentation on medicinal plants used in Guatemala. Wednesday we didn't have mobile clinic but organized a patient education day. We prepped a PowerPoint to help patients with diabetes plan meals to better their sugar, and a chef came to help them learn some healthy recipes. Thursday we have our final dinner at the school to say thank you and goodbye to our teachers :( Friday is the last day of class then saying goodbye to friends and host families. On Saturday, Jake Tori and I are headed to Tikal and will travel some more before our flight home on Wednesday.

The highlight of my week was definitely Monday when I gave Luis my thank you gift. I went to a couple different stores and eventually found a New Testament in Quiche and Spanish. One of our first conversations had been about how he's never read through the entire Bible himself, and since then I've learned his first language is Quiche. I was a little disappointed I couldn't find a  a full Bible in Quiche, but I was still excited and couldn't wait until the end of the week to give it to him. Monday I pulled it out of my bag as soon as I walked into the room, and he was so excited!! He explained to me that he's now one of five people in his village with a Quiche Bible and how he'll treasure it. He then proceeded to tell me about his weekend and how he's been telling people about me. He was translating for a midwife training session, and when given the opportunity to voice his opinion he lamented the fact that none of the churches were making an impact in the community and proceeded to tell the 40 women there about our conversations. By the end of their discussion, women I've never met were volunteering to teach me Quiche, let me live with them, show me how to make fabric and sew myself traditional clothes, and much more. Luis explained to them how I'm still in school for several more years, but now they're all counting the days until I come. I'm honored but have been trying to convey to Luis that they don't need to wait for me to bring about changes in their community. He and I started reading through his new Bible and using our last few days to talk about prayer, church leadership and more (using this to practice my Spanish grammar of course). I really admire his passion for his community and his enthusiasm for learning more about the Bible. If I weren't in med school, it would be pretty easy to convince me to stay and learn Quiche. One day!

Weeks 3-4

This past two weeks have been a fantastic mix of clinic work, traveling, Spanish and getting to know people better.

Both weeks I've been assigned the Wednesday and Friday morning clinics. Two of those days I've been able to shadow Dr. Barbara. I've also helped with triage and pharmacy like normal. Dr Barbara is trained as a pediatrician here in Guatemala. She and Dr. Carmen Rosa have been trying to take Step 1 and the subsequent tests to get certified in the U.S. but that process has been slow and complicated for them. Our patients have been mostly women with the occasional child or older man. Many of the chief complaints Dr. Barbara received were reproductive in nature so I've observed two pelvic exams and been present for discussions on nutrition, uterine cancer, family planning, female hygiene, and more. We've also seen a fair number of patients with nerve problems. As I try to weigh the pros and cons of primary care versus neurology and how they could be used in a missions/community development setting, it has been good to see the need for both. In talking with one of the other doctors, he encouraged me to pursue whatever specialty interests me most. This has helped me realize how much i learned this year and how much I still don't know.

On our days off, I've been able to visit some amazing places with friends. One weekend we went zip lining, toured a coffee plantation and swam in some hot springs. Last week a few of us rented bungalows in Fuentes Georginas for a night. They're different hot springs in the mountains near Xela, and since it was the middle of the week we had the place to ourselves. Without the city lights you could see the stars so clearly, and the hot water felt so good compared to the cold mountain air. The view when the sun was up was just as breathtaking. That weekend we also went back to Lake Atitlan but stayed in a different little town, Santa Cruz. We had bungalows right on the lake, so we swam, played some games, enjoyed the stars then got up early to see the sunrise over the mountains. We spent that Sunday in Panajachel and said goodbye to some of our friends who were headed back to the States. This week we stayed in Xela but have been trying to explore the town more...we've tried some new restaurants and cafes, gone dancing a couple times, and browsed local markets and women's cooperative stores. Friday Xela had two pretty big events...a gas explosion early that morning wiped out an entire block including the club we had gone to for salsa lessons the night before, and then an earthquake shook the town that afternoon. From what I've heard, no one died but a few people were severely injured in the fire.

We've hit the point where a lot of the people we came with have finished their four weeks and are leaving. It's been sad having to say goodbye knowing we probably won't see each other again (or at least not for long) since our school schedules will have us tied down for the next several years. This summer definitely has been refreshing, and time is flying by. I'm glad we decided to do six weeks of class because I'm definitely not ready to head back to Loma Linda yet.

Week 2

Luis and I have spent at least half of our time together discussing Bible passage, suffering and Christianity, homosexuality, grace and good works, the roles of foreigners and locals in community development, roles of men and women, marriage, tattoos, alcohol and many other topics. We cover other important stuff like medical terms and grammar, but I definitely get the most fired up about our theological discussions and easily stay longer than necessary.

This week several of us newbies started in the clinic. We had a day of orientation and learned how to discuss hypertension and dehydration with patients. Tuesday we had clinic here in Xela where I got to help out in Triage and Pharmacy. It's great because in one way or another you get to talk to each patient. Wednesday was mobile clinic in a nearby rural area called Llanos deal Pinal (Pine Flats) where I again worked Triage/Pharm. That meant taking blood pressure, glucose test, taking weight and height. We've seen mostly women and children. I love seeing things we learned about in class this last year (Ménière's disease, goiter, neuropathy, etc); I just wish I knew more about the meds prescribed...but I'll get probably more than enough of that in pharm next year. The day's can be sort of long but working in clinic is really energizing for me, and I love talking with Luis afterwards.

When not in class, we've been busy as well...several of us hiked to Laguna Chicabal, a lagoon on top of a mountain that the Mayans still hold sacred. We've gone dancing, watched the Copa de Oro (soccer) on TV, explored local restaurants, played volleyball at the local complejo, learned about Guatemalan politics, and have come to appreciate siestas! Thursday was my free day so we headed to the black sand beaches for a day of swimming and hanging out together. I can't wait for another week of this :)

Week 1: Travel and Classes

Jake, Tori and I arrived last Wednesday morning after taking a red-eye from LAX to Ft. Lauderdale. It was a pretty sleepless night, but I was thrilled to be back. We grabbed a shuttle with four other Americans who were on our flight, and a little later we were walking the streets of Antigua trying to figure out where we were going to stay. We got connected with a couple people who rent out rooms to students in town for language school. It was a great transition into speaking Spanish again...the other students would go back and forth between English and Spanish, and our hosts were used to working with students so they'd speak relatively slow. We got some restaurant recomendations and hit the streets again. That afternoon and the next day we walked around a lot...I showed Jake and Tori some of my favorite spots from past trips, we hiked to the cross overlooking the city, and Jake bought either food or a souvenir at seemingly every corner :)

Friday morning we crammed into a shuttle with twelve other people and made our way to San Pedro on the edge of Lake Atitlan. It was supposed to be a relatively short trip, two maybe three hours, but stretched into a five-hour ride. It didn't seem that long since everyone started sharing cool stories about where they were from or had been or were going. The two Austrian guys had been in San Pedro before, so several of us stayed at a hostel together and bounced around to all the places they recommended. We participated in a trivia night and our competitive sides really came out. In the morning, Jake, Tori and I decided we'd head across the lake like originally planned to stay at a hotel that Tori's friend's uncle apparently owns. A half hour boat ride brought us to Panajachel, and we crammed into a tuk-tuk to go the rest of the way to San Antonio Pobolo. The Hotel Teraza was gorgeous, so we chilled on the patio overlooking the lake. I loved watching the clouds roll over the distant mountains. Tori and I explored the town a bit and got to watch some of the artesans as they wove intricate patterns into fabric or crafted ceramic dishes and knick-knacks. We learned about how long it take to make various pieces, the specific blue that indicates it was made in San Antonio, and just chatted with vendors. Very few gringos were there so it was a great opportunity to just observe life in a quiet lakeside village.

Sunday morning we hitched a ride in a pick-up back to Panajachel then took three chicken buses whipping around mountain curves and flying down straight-aways until we reached Xela. A taxi brought us through town to our school where we met up with our separate host families. I'm staying a few blocks from the school with a family that has been hosting students for the last 15 years. I got settled into my room, walked to the supermarket with my host mom, and relaxed before classes got going.

This first week is a bit different than the rest will be. We have one on one tutoring every afternoon 2-6 and that will stay the same the whole time, but mornings vary day to day. We've got cultural competency class Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. In these sessions we've covered the history of Pop Wuj, the need for this type of class, aspects of Western culture that conflict with Guatemalan culture, the history of Spain and their conquest of Latin America, history of Mayan culture, and more. I've heard a lot of the info before in my Spanish and Community Development classes at Covenant, but it was intriguing hearing it all from the perspective of a Guatemalan anthropologist. Wednesday morning we had the option of free time or helping build a stove as part of their community development project, so several of us ended up traveling to a rural town to help construct a stove for a family. This project got started because the community realized a need for better cooking practices...they use open fires which are inefficient and lead to the inhalation of lots of toxic smoke causing kids and women to have severe respiratory problems (they said the leading causes of death in kids here are respiratory problems then malnutrition). Families contribute some of the supplies and Pop Wuj helps cover the rest to construct a cinder block stove with metal cooktop and chimney. I was glad to be a part of it this week since we should be working in clinic on Wednesdays from here on out.

My afternoon tutor is Luis. He keeps lessons interesting by only focusing on a certain subject for a half hour or so. We bounce from conversations about home to medical terms, from daily activities to grammar, adverbs to expressions I should know, etc. He was telling me he was immediately impressed by my accent and my openness about my faith. My favorite part of the week so far was talking about my church, Emmaus...he had never heard the story before so I pulled out my Bible and read it to him. We used the text for vocab words, talked about prayer, what it means to have a personal relationship with God, and more. Hopefully we can do something like that frequently. I also loved talking about types of nerves, gait changes, numbness, effects of nutrition the brachial plexus, and other stuff I learned in neurology this year. It's a bit overwhelming at times...for example, we've covered ten different verb tenses in two days and have more to come. But I love it! I thrive on challenges and one-on-one settings like this. It's shaping up to be a fantastic summer :)

Year 1 Summary

One year down! 

This has been the most exciting and the most difficult year yet. If you look at my Facebook, you'll see the pictures from camping trips, days at the beach, parties at Cardiff house and smiling faces as we received white coats and Bibles from our school, but what you won't see are the countless hours of reading textbooks, practicing taking blood pressures, puzzling over how to distinguish heart sounds, reviewing power points and flash cards for the millionth time, the exhaustion of test week and much more. It's a ton of work (as it should be since we'll be making life or death decisions in a few years), but God has blessed me with a great church, amazing friends, and a supportive family who have all contributed to keeping me sane through all of this. 

This year was mostly spent in the classroom with some shadowing the first and last weeks of the year. We looked mostly at how the body normally works by studying anatomy, embryology, genetics, biochem, physiology, neurology, physical diagnosis, behavioral science, cell structure and function, plus some other classes. I got to see how things run in the emergency department, internal medicine and neurology. Next year will be more book work focused on how things go wrong and how to treat everything. We'll also face huge tests (Step 1 essentially determines what type of specialty we can get into) and incredible amounts of stress...yeah :/ Third year at Loma Linda will be spent working in the different departments to give us an idea of what we want to specialize in, then fourth year we'll apply for residencies which vary in length depending on the field we want to go into (So I'm looking at 3-4 more years after Loma Linda to become a full fledged doctor). There's a lot more to it than that but for those of you who aren't super familiar with the process I hope that helps give you a glimpse of the next several years for me.

These next two months are the last long break I'll have from here on out, and I'm excited to leave tomorrow for Guatemala. A couple of classmates and I are going to language school in Queztaltenango. I'll have the chance to be tutored in medical Spanish, work in their clinics, live with a host family, improve my conversational Spanish, learn more about their culture and travel a little. I've been looking forward to it for months now!! It's not with a missions organization and I'm going  with people I already know, so it will be different than my previous times in Central America. We'll have some internet access so keep looking here for updates and more details :)

What's Next?

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm always rushing from one commitment to the next. I feel the most comfortable when I'm busy, checking off various tasks from my lists of things to do and asking, "What's next?" Learn another language. Check. Travel to a foreign country by myself. Check. Graduate with honors. Check. Get into medical schools. Check. Make furniture for my new apartment. Check.

But this summer, I am again reminded of the joy of reflection. Making a coffee table and end tables out of reclaimed wood reminded me of friendships formed in Guatemala and the lessons God taught me during those two months. Painting a waterfall from Pico Bonito allowed me to reminisce about that gorgeous hike in Honduras, more friendships, and the moments that convinced me to apply for medical school.

In about 24 hours, I head to Honduras again. This time just for a week, but Lord-willing I'll be back again for longer periods of time. I'll be going with seven other people from Ripon, one of which is my brother. For years, I've been begging to go on a mission trip with at least one family member, so I'm ecstatic to be going with Vance. We'll be working with Providence World Ministries in Siguatepeque, Honduras. I first went there in 2009 with a larger group from church, and though we were only there a few days because of the coup going on, God used it greatly in my life. I'm excited to go back and be a part of the work God is doing in the school, clinic and orphan ministry! We covet your prayers for this week. I pray that God will be glorified in all things--may we boldly proclaim the Gospel, joyfully serve, eagerly learn, and delight in new or strengthened relationships.

In one month--August 11--I start seeing patients at Loma Linda as part of my first year in medical school. In such a competitive field, it is a great blessing to be accepted right out of undergrad, and after a lot of prayer and thought, I chose to attend this school. Thank you to everyone who has played a role in getting me here!! It is a huge honor, and as God uses this training to bring me into contact with people who need to hear about the healing He offers, I pray that He will continue to guide my steps, give me the strength, knowledge and words needed, and remind me that reflection is just as important as what's next.

A Walk in Their Shoes

The phrase "spring break" typically brings to mind beaches, sun, freedom from stress, and hanging out with friends. When I think back on Spring Break 2013, my memories will be quite different from those images--and I wouldn't ever trade them.

Twelve of us from Covenant had the privilege and blessing of going through World Relief and Mission to the World's program called "Walk in My Shoes". The coordinators use a variety of teaching techniques that rely on surprises and the unexpected, so I cannot share many details or pictures. What I can do is strongly encourage you to PARTICIPATE in this program yourself!! The week challenged all of us in many ways, but taught us so much about refugees, cultures from around the world, our culture, and ourselves. 

Here are some of the lessons and memories I will treasure from this week:

- Political refugees come from all backgrounds (poor and rich, educated and illiterate), from around the world (depending on where conflicts are) and go through an extremely difficult process (leaving everything to live in the awful conditions of camps, pleading their case, learning different languages, adjusting to a complicated culture, and sooooo much more)

- We got to help a number of existing programs that serve the Clarkston community

Kristopher Woods After School Program, Friends of Refugees, Mommy and Me ESL classes, Refugee Sewing Society, etc

- Everyone has a story. Be willing to ask questions and listen rather than stereotyping them.

- God is a God of diversity. Here in the US we have so many cultures around us that we often overlook or disregard.

- Getting involved means doing the next thing God has in front of you. Again, listen to His call--whatever it is!

(There's a branch of World Relief in Modesto http://worldreliefmodesto.org/--you can help by grocery shopping, picking up people at the airport, etc. It's not hard and it's right in our backyard)

- God provides EXACTLY what we need when we need it. HE IS FAITHFUL!!

- Getting to know members of the Covenant community I do not normally interact with.

Thank you so, so much for your prayers and support. I would LOVE to share more stories and thoughts if you're interested. Please let me know :)

We climbed Stone Mountain

Break between soccer and the after school program

Counting Down to Spring Break

I'm not going to lie. I'm pumped about Spring Break this year! It'll be a great time to do something different that will take me out of my comfort zone and make great memories with fellow Covenant students. So, I've decided to go to Clarkston, GA!

Not your typical Spring Break destination, I know. I'll be partnering with Mission to the World and World Relief in their work there with refugees. We'll be put through some simulations (they're surprises, so I have no idea what they'll involve), learn about the numerous cultures there, and serve wherever possible. You can find out a bit more about the community at http://outcastsunited.com/content/outcasts-united-team-town-coach.

The trip is March 2-10, so about a month away!! I wish I could let you know more so you could pray specifically, but honestly that's all I know and I'm okay with just following God. I know He's at work and that He delights in using and shaping those who are willing to follow His lead. As it approaches, I covet your thoughts, encouragement, and mostly prayers.

Prayer Requests:

-Praise the Lord for the funding to go on this trip. Thank you specifically to those who donated towards my internship this summer--the extra funding covered the cost of the trip.

-Pray for our team as we get to know each other so that we might serve and learn well together. There are 12 of us going, including my roommate Joannne--I'm so excited to be doing this with her!!

-I would really appreciate prayer for energy throughout the semester. Most days I don't feel like I have time to breathe, and definitely not to rest. So please pray that I will make resting in God a priority and serve joyfully even when I'm worn down.

Life's a Learning Process

So much has happened in the last year that it was sort of hard to process when I finally had a break. Over Christmas, I found that going month by month and reviewing what happened helped tremendously. Being fond of lists, organizing my thoughts by month came naturally. So here's the list of lessons God saw fit to teach me.

Some of them were familiar lessons that I needed review of; some were new insights into God, life and myself. Some were obvious and spoken into my life by people God placed in my path, and others weren't clear until I was looking back on them. I hope in posting them here my lessons will be constantly before me as a reminder of God's grace and continued work in my life. I do not have these down pat, but that's why God has been working on these areas of my life.

January: I am capable of inflicting a great deal of pain and hurt others deeply more often than I realize.

February: Life is not meant to be lived alone. I need God and community.

March: I need to be "more assertive" and to "stop trying so hard to hide [my] God-given talents."

April: God's plan is much better than my idealized dreams.

May: I love Ripon more than I often let on.

June: Home can be anywhere around the world.

July: My heart is not mine to give away.

August: Our God gives us passions for a reason, and stewarding them well involves "cultivation".

September: All relationships must be firmly rooted in Christ.

October: Forgiveness comes from God. Forgiving those who deeply hurt or humiliate you is a lot harder than I tend to think.

November: Mentors come in many forms. Wisdom is meant to be shared and can be spread in a variety of ways.

December: "Lord, what a journey you've taken me on so far" and "Behold, I am the Lord's servant. Let it be unto me as You say."

Saying Goodbyes

I hate saying goodbye. This week has been rough because I really don't know if the kids will show up to the next event or not. Monday was the last ESL; Tuesday the last Kids' Club; today the last time with the street kids and the last trip to the river. Tomorrow is my last actual day of ministry, and I'm not looking forward to leaving for the final time. I would love to stay here and keep building the relationships I have. Who knows...God may have already planned for me to come back. We'll see.

Sunday, we interns will be spending the day in San Pedro, and then we'll fly out Monday around noon. We'll be in Atlanta for debriefing July 31st and August 1st (is it really August already? I'm still in May). August 2nd I'll fly home!! After two days with family and friends, my brother and I will be driving to Georgia--another adventure in itself :) So two weeks from now, I'll be in Georgia for RA training. Crazy how fast this summer has gone and how much I've done.


Prayer Requests:

-Praise for a fantastic summer--great relationships, learning a ton, serving the Lord and having fun

-Pray for my adjustment back to the US...it's going to be tough.

-Pray for safe travels in the coming weeks.

-Praise for the memories and pray that their impact will be significant and long-lasting

Manos Suaves

There are times when you need to be tough and mean in order to get the point across. For instance, “You will die if you don’t change your lifestyle” needs to be taken seriously. But a huge part of offering medical care is being a comfort and giving of time and attention. Here are a few stories from the past weeks.

One young man came to our clinic with leg wounds that had become infected. The local hospitals are on strike again, so this was the only help he would be receiving. After receiving a very painful shot and some oral antibiotics, he expressed his great gratitude for the “manos suaves” (smooth hands) that treated him gently so that he did not feel anything but the sting of the medicine.

A few children here have needed nebulizer treatments, and often they are too young to understand why this loud machine is blowing vapor into their face. Last week, one three-year old would not have any of it. His sister tried holding the mask on, and he screamed the entire time. The next round, his grandma bounced him, and I held his hand. The kind woman kept asking him where his girlfriend was, and he’d look at me with his big brown eyes and break out into a big smile—no screaming. With the little extra attention, he got the treatment he needed plus love he was craving.

This week’s clinics involved lots of patients with long lists of lab tests to be done and prescriptions to be handed out. At one point, we had several urine samples lined up and a longer line of people waiting for meds. I took care of the analysis for one kind old woman, explained where she had to go for an additional test and that she’d have to go back to the doctor with the results. A good while later, she came to my window with her prescription, so I gathered the baggies, wrote out instructions and went outside to explain everything to her. After our a few questions, I prayed for God’s blessing. She grasped my arm and sincerely thanked me not only for the medicine but for the careful attention I had shown to her. It can be easy to get focused on the lists of medicines needed or the tests that need to be run, forgetting about the people who are behind those papers and cups. That was a good reminder that a smile and a personalized question make a big difference between completing a job and serving someone.

Seeing (via ultrasound) an unborn baby is quite the experience. This is God’s creation, one of his beloved. The children I saw were not mine, but I still felt an overwhelming love for them. It’s so exciting, knowing that God has their lives planned out and is direction their formation at this moment. He is working in the hearts and lives of their parents and siblings as well, shaping the environment into which they’ll be born.

Working Pharmacy

Inserting an IV

Helping Extract Teeth

 These are just a few of the memories I have to share that have even further motivated me to whole-heartedly pursue God and lovingly serve others. This week, I'll be doing that in La Ceiba. In a few weeks, I'll be doing that on Harambe! (my hall at Covenant). God is bringing together a great group of girls for a year of loving, learning and growing. I cannot wait to get to better know and serve these girls! It'll be hard transitioning from learning on the field to learning in the classroom again (I won't be doing more NG tube or IV insertions any time soon), but I'm very excited about it and the hard work/determination it'll require. This summer has been the experience of a lifetime, and I can't wait to see what else God has in store for this year!

Busy week!

This week has been fantastically draining!! It’s draining because of the sickness and long work days, but I’ve been learning so much! This week, we’ve got a dentist, a radiologist doing ultrasounds, and three doctors offering clinics. We’ve treated well over three hundred people these last few days and are expecting a big crowd tomorrow at our last clinic. That means a busy time in pharmacy (a wonderful job but tiring after 8 hours of reading doctors’ writing, doing math, performing lab tests and translating instructions into Spanish).

In the few breaks we get, Keilah and I have been able to observe ultrasounds, teeth extractions, injections, abscess draining and more. My wonderful team leader volunteered his body in the name of science so that Keilah and I could learn (under Erin’s careful guidance) how to insert an NG tube and IVs. I still can’t believe I put a tube up someone’s nose a few hours ago!

My time here in Honduras is drawing to a close, and I’m not ready for it to end in a little over a week. Having short-term teams come and go has made me realize how hard it is to have people come and go from your life so quickly. I’m dreading saying goodbye to the people in Armenia I’ve come to love, especially the children. I have hope in the fact that I’ll see many of them after this life, but it’s still hard to part.

I’ve got tons of really cool stories about Kids’ Club, clinics, soccer games, river days, day trips, dorm life and so much more…unfortunately free time and sleep are running short so those stories won’t make it on the blog for now, sorry.
 

Prayer Requests:

-          Praise for the completed clinics and pray for clinic tomorrow (and next week's team)

-          Praise God for the life and breath He gives us and please pray for continued strength and energy

-          Praise for friendships and how God uses them to encourage and challenge us

-          Pray that parting would draw all of us closer to God

Hope of all the Ends of the Earth

This week, we didn’t have a short-term team, so we interns had the chance to experience more of Honduras. We relaxed on the beach, took a bus through the gorgeous mountains, explored Mayan ruins, and gazed at the stars. Seeing these different sights put into perspective Psalm 65: 5-8,
 

“You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”

 

This week provided much needed rest and the chance to re-focus on the Creator and Savior who formed this land and people, bringing us here to share more about who He is and what He has done.

The coming weeks will be extremely full. We’ll have two teams here this week (one in Armenia and another in La Fe). Having so many people means more mouths to feed, creative transportation arrangements, and higher probability of something going wrong. BUT it also means more arms to hug the children, more mouths to spread the Gospel and more love to be shown. Missions is not about numbers or projects but about God’s glory. “Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion…You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.” (Psalm 65: 1-2) God displays Himself in the world all around us, and we have the joy of reflecting Him in our lives as well—what an honor!!

 

Prayer Requests:

·         Praise for a time of rest

·         Please pray that the coming teams will have servant’s hearts and student’s minds

·         Pray for continued energy and fresh perspective. Pray that we will not become worn down, jaded and ungrateful as we’ve been working here for a while.

·         Pray that the Hondurans will see more and more of Christ in the world around them, in us, and in themselves

The Halfway Mark

In one month, I’ll be back in the States. That realization comes with mixed emotions. I miss family and friends but am thoroughly enjoying my time here. Time really has flown—so much has happened and there’s so much more yet to come!

This week started with celebration. The English class finished its 10-week cycle, so Mike, Allen and I brought the kids who had attended 8+ weeks to a restaurant. All 23 of them showed up in their nice clothes since going to town, especially a restaurant, is quite the treat. It was a great chance to get to connect names and faces as well as learn some more details about the lives of these precious children of God.

Kids’ Club was more difficult without a team in Armenia to help out, but it was still a lot of fun teaching the kids about Jericho and God’s ability to do everything.

Wednesday, I got to go to the river with the La Fe Kids. The women taught the short-term team how they wash clothes, and the kids loved getting their hair washed and horsing around in the water.

Thursday, I spent more time in La Fe as the team helped build a cement pathway for the community and as Keilah led the English class in the afternoon. Soccer that night was fantastic like usual.

It was a busy and trying week, but God comes through with small blessings and pick-me ups. Today was one of those blessings. We celebrated Kate’s birthday with a party on the beach. Swimming in the warm water, playing with the girls and babies from Puerta de Esperanza, and hanging out with the Troxells were great follow-ups to weekly worship! This coming week, we have no short-term teams (a very needed break after four weeks of 24/7 service). The Caroline, Keilah, Jeff, Allen and I will be heading to Copan Ruinas for a couple of days and then working hard to get the dorms ready for the coming teams.

Prayer Requests:

·         Praise for a time of rest!! God knows just how much we can handle :)

·         Praise for kids and the joy they bring

·         Pray for safety (we interns are travelling across Honduras and the other missionaries have various trips and get-togethers planned)

·         Pray that our time would be refreshing and that we would use it to refocus on the One who brought us here and will give us strength for the coming teams

 

 

Our English Class heading out to celebrate

Construction's going well on a house in Armenia.

(Team from TN)

TN team helping with Kids' Club

Goofing off with Isaac.

 Construction in La Fe this past week.

 

This is what we interns do for fun after four hectic weeks with teams!

Having fun at the beach!

Yes, we do all match.

No, we did not plan it.

The Beauty of Grace

This summer has taught me a lot already:

Medically—I’m experienced in urine analysis, pregnancy tests, administering shots (in the arm and the bottom), reading doctors’ handwriting, filling prescriptions, bandaging cuts, helping flush out ears and more!! I LOVE every minute of clinic and cannot wait to do even more.

Mentally—I reinforced the fact that I NEED my quiet time to think, reflect, pray, etc…and normally I get this through running.

Physically—I’ve learned very few people love to run as much as I do. This poses a problem when you can’t go anywhere by yourself, so joining the gym with the other interns has been a good solution (and by the end of this internship I should be in the best shape of my life).

Socially—Keilah and I have become quite the team and sharing this experience with her has been fantastic! I love being around so many like-minded people.

Spiritually—God is so good and knows exactly what He’s doing. I didn’t realize how many other people applied for the internship, and the fact that I’m here shows that this is exactly where God wants me at the moment. That can be trying when your hard work goes unnoticed. Teams repeatedly ignore our instructions. It’s difficult to give up your favorite activity of the week in order to stay back with a sick team member. Using every minute of your “free time” to cook and clean wears you down a LOT. Repeating yourself and explaining over and over and over again seriously drain your energy. Mistakes are readily pointed out while accomplishments are quickly forgotten (if noticed at all). Being grateful is hard…but then I look at the cross. God demonstrates so much grace. My best attempts to do everything on a checklist (for any part of life) always fail, yet God doesn’t value me any less because of that. Christ humbled himself to a life on earth and death on the cross for our sake. He put up with torture while I’m only experiencing annoyances. By God’s grace I have come to know Him and He has led me here. By His grace, others are coming to know the joy of salvation. By His grace, our kitchen fire yesterday didn’t destroy anything (but we’ve spent the last two days cleaning every dish we have). And by His grace will we love each other and enjoy the coming weeks.

These past three weeks have been some of the most exciting and draining days of my life. I’m gaining hands-on medical experience. I feel more content than I have in quite a while and know that’s only because of God. We’ll see what the future holds, but I would love if it looked a lot like this.

Prayer Requests:

·         Praise for the numerous learning experiences and helpful conversations I’ve had

·         Praise for God’s continual watchfulness and protection

·         Pray that I will be patient and grace-filled

·         Our fifth intern Caroline arrived yesterday. I’m looking forward to getting to know her. Having her will lighten everyone’s load, but it’s different from “normal” so please pray that the adjustment would go smoothly.

·         Pray for the one-week team from North Carolina. They’ll be working in La Fe.

Glimpses of the King

         You may know someone for an instant, for a week or for a lifetime. When I had to say goodbye to this last team, I realized it is very likely I will not see them again this side of heaven but I will always remember the lessons they taught me, the fun we had, and what it means to be surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

In three days of clinics, we saw over 210 patients. The ultimate Healer chose to use us to give these people a glimpse of the wholeness that He alone can bring. There is nothing significant about this team or me…we are broken and flawed but thoroughly equipped by God to extend His glory wherever we are. This week, it took the form of seeing patients, participating in Kids’ Club, introducing Honduras to Sipma cookies, playing at the river with the children from Armenia Bonito, and talking with our guide as we explore Pico Bonito National Park.

God chose to mold and prepare us by placing people in our lives as examples. Is anyone a perfect model? Only Christ. But I do have some other pretty good examples in my life. This Father’s Day, I can’t help but miss my family and praise the Lord for showing me Christian leadership through them. The faith and support of my grandparents are a constant encouragement. Dad, I love our conversations and definitely miss being able to ask you questions when I’m away at school or in another country. I know you don’t have all the answers, but you’re always searching God’s Word for the truth and stand boldly for it. I can’t write more because I’ll be crying even harder then, but thank you and happy birthday!

 So, here’s how you can be praying for me this week:

·      Praise God for the opportunities to build relationships

o   I’ve gotten closer to Alejandro and Ericka who helped out with pharmacy this week

o   Gisel, Estela, Oneda and Morena are some of the girls I’ve gotten to know through Kids’ Club and our trip to the river

·      Pray that I will get to know and love these wonderful kids better

·      Praise God for the great cloud of witnesses I have here (the Pettengills, Clows, Troxells, Kate and Shannon) and at home

·      Prayer for homesickness

·      Pray for safety and open hearts for the new team from Tennessee

·      Pray that the Hondurans will see God as the Provider

Here are some pictures from the week:

Alejandro helping me in pharmacy

Seeing patients at the clinic

We had over 90 kids at Kids' Club this week!

One of the waterfalls in Pico Bonito National Park.

Trials and Triumphs

Let us not be surprised when we have to face difficulties.

When the wind blows hard on a tree, the roots stretch and grow the stronger,

Let it be so with us.

Let us not be weaklings, yielding to every wind that blows, but strong in spirit to resist.   

         –Amy Carmichael

           Missionaries do not live a life of luxury. Daily reminders make us think of home in the United States, distracting from our ultimate home in heaven. Additionally, Satan has his ways of slowing work for God. This week, we had four people get sick, the van break down, a transmission go out, and power outages (meaning bucket showers in the dark after an intense soccer game).

The Pettengills remind us that one of the greatest insults a Christian can receive is Satan not paying us any attention because that means that what we are accomplishing is not attacking his kingdom or promoting God’s kingdom.

We have hope because we have One who has defeated death and sin. That is why “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8-9). We treated around 70 people physically and spiritually at our clinics. We started the foundation of a house. A record of 70 children attended Kids’ Club and learned Q.12 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism which tells them nothing is hidden from God. The electrical work in the upstairs dorms is now done. Kids saw the love of God through the Americans who willingly wash lice-infested hair, move rocks, teach them some English and learn some Spanish. Mike and Erin celebrated their 20^th wedding anniversary, and John and Kathy celebrated their 15^th anniversary.

God did not promise a life of luxury, but He does promise His presence which is the greatest comfort we can ever know. Matthew 28:18-20 says “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The power outage offered a great time to stargaze and reflect upon God’s greatness. The van breaking allowed a visiting team member to use his skills as a mechanic to bring God glory. Sickness is a reminder that we are not invincible but dependent upon our Lord. This week has taught me a lot, and I’m looking forward to the experiences God has in store for the rest of the summer!

Prayer Requests

• Praise for the God-given ability to learn
• Praise for the Lord’s faithfulness to His people
• Pray for the safety and cultural adjustments ahead of both the team leaving and the team arriving Saturday
• Pray that we might not be distracted from the truth by the larger trials or petty inconveniences
• Pray for the hearts of all involved—that God might be at work bring each of us closer to Him and unto salvation

Semper Gumby

             So I am alive and well in Honduras!! Yes, it’s hot and humid. I’ve gotten several bug bites already. I’m exhausted at the moment. BUT I am soooo excited to be here and am soaking in everything like a kid at Christmas.

Training at Ridge Haven (in North Carolina) was a blast, and our team arrived safely in this foreign land with our only hold up being the slow-moving line in customs. The first week-long team arrived a couple hours after us, so we’ve really been learning right alongside them and are doing a pretty good job of it. I'm known as one of the "good interns" since I will be working with Mike and Erin. Tomorrow is the real test when we head out to the ministry sites.

“Semper Gumby” was a phrase I was introduced to as an RA this past year and is very applicable to these coming months. It is an encouragement to always be flexible. While I’m a good student, there are a couple lessons I just don’t grasp and this is one of them. I love my plans and order, but God tends to throw them out the window. Just like Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart,but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The good but frustrating news is that apparently God’s not giving up on teaching me that lesson.

I guess this lesson really picked up in intensity last summer in Guatemala, continued as I learned more about serving as an RA, and will extend for who knows how much longer. Over the course of this year I’ve had several people talk to me about my love of control and plans. Having those different voices saying the same thing definitely makes it stand out, and now God is using another language to help reinforce the fact that this is an important lesson that I can’t just skip or brush off. One of the points that really struck a nerve during tonight’s sermon was giving God your plans and being ok with the consequences. Not having control terrifies me, but I shouldn't be afraid because "I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day." God desires to give His children the good things that we desire or thing better than what we've imagined. I know that as I've grown closer to Him my dreams and the desires of my heart have changed...so I guess I have been "flexible" or at least molded without really being conscious of it.

What will I be doing this summer? Serving however God needs me that moment. Tomorrow it’ll take the form of learning how to run the pharmacy for the clinics we’ll have every week and learning what it looks like in Armenia Bonito. Will that look like a pharmacy or classroom in the US? Nope. Will I have all of the resources I “need” (by American standards)? Nope, but God will provide exactly what is needed for me to love whoever He places in my path. Am I getting the hang of this being flexible? Sorta, and I know that God’s going to keep working with and throwing more surprises my way. What the rest of my future holds…I’m not sure at the moment, but I’ll let you know as God reveals it to me!

Prayer Requests:

• Praise the Lord for the bringing us here by providing the funds, flights, prayers and so much more
• Praise that training went well--I met some incredible people, learned a lot and am very encouraged as I head into the summer
• That God would be glorified in all we do 
• That I'll learn well my responsibilities in the pharmacy
• For continued health, safety, and adjustment to each other and our new surroundings
• Please pray that the team and I would not become discouraged by the extreme poverty and hard situations we will be experiencing in the coming weeks
• Flexibility :-)

Engraved

Isaiah 49:13-16

¹³ Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,

the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

I will not forget you!

¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are ever before me."

    The human mind is fascinating. Specific faces and scenes are permanently engraved in one's memory and come to mind daily. For example, there is hardly a day I don't think of a child I met in Guatemala last summer or the view from my host family's house. Other important details slip the mind, so we use other means to remind us of them. Many apps and programs help us organize notes electronically. Calendars, planners, Post-It's are commons sights in dorm rooms like mine. I often write notes on my hand to remind me of upcoming events or things to bring with me. Scripture is a wonderful reminder of what God has done. Even with reminders, we can forget. A note may fall off the desk; the ink will wash off of your hand, and the Truth is often replaced by lies such as "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

    God, however, does not forget or need reminder notes. Even so He "engraves you on the palms of His hands." This isn't ink which washes off with a little soap, but a permanent tattoo. God doesn't forget us or change His mind about who will receive His love and attention. I dearly love and miss the children I spent two months with...how much more does the Creator cherish these children? I can only offer so many hugs or words of encouragement before I am gone, but God will always be with them. While I will learn and do a lot, the main purpose of my service is connecting those I meet with God and the church that will further develop that relationship.

    Knowing I am loved and that God loves those around me just as much is both a comfort and a challenge. The security of resting in God's love has given me much more confidence to follow where he leads and step out of my comfort zone. God has given me talents that I have the tendency to hide; I have a lot more to learn about stewarding them well and not succumbing to the fear of man. God gives these talents and lavishes us with love in order to draw others to Him. I definitely don't reflect that love perfectly, but trying to do so brings much more joy and fulfillment than seeking to earn love. 

    This summer is going to be quite the experience. I am comfortable spending two months in a foreign place because I know nothing happens outside of the control of my beloved Father. More names, faces, lessons, places and events will be engraved in my memory. I have the opportunity to share the joy I have experienced with those who are unaware of the Gospel. Reminders come in all shapes and sizes, and I hope that I might serve as a reminder of God's love to those who know it but may be distracted in some way or another. Similarly, others will challenge and teach me. If you have any reminders for me, I would love to hear those as well!

I would deeply appreciate prayer for these upcoming months, so keep checking back to this blog for updates. For now here are some things you could pray for...

• Travelling mercies: May 28-29 I'll be traveling to North Carolina for pre-field training and then June 1st we'll fly to Honduras
• Pre-field training: May 29-May 31 please pray for Jeffry, Keilah, Allen and me as we get to know each other and that we would take the lessons we learn to heart
• Culture shock will undoubtedly occur, but pray that it would be minimal and not be a continued hindrance to our witness
• I'll be translating a lot--I'm well-prepared but nervous, so please pray that God would give me the right words
• Please pray that my summer will reflect Matthew 5:14-16
• ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.